Sign device



April 15, 1930. T. H. HARRIS 1,754,944

SIGN DEVICE Filed Jan. 18. 1927 IN VEN TOR.

QZ/YM A TTORNE Y.

Patented Apr. 15, 1930 Wire stares THOMAS H. HARRIS, OF NORWOOD, OHIO SIGN DEVICE Application filed. January 18, 1927. Serial Np. 161,916.

'10 vision of pedestrians, which will comply with traflic regulations, and improve congestion on the streets rather than add to it. It is often that persons walk along streets seeking places, as a destination, which display nosign or whose signs are inconspicuous, or, which are not to be found in the particular block, and they stop and make inquiries, question traffic officers, postmen, police, storekeepers, and other pedestrians as to the location of their objective, thus interfering with the traiiic andcausing undue annoyance and waste of time by people who should not be called upon, and the inquirer.

With the names, business and numbers of the storekeepers, ofiice buildings, clubs and the like along a street, displayed in a suitable way out of the stream of traffic along the sidewalk, the pedestrian will learn to consult the directory, and thus manage his own affairs without stopping others or stopping to examine signs and names.

I have provided in addition to a proper arrangement for display, a particular arrangement of great advantage in the mounting of my directory boards, which permits of mounting them firmly and snugly on poles or posts to be found, or to be erected for the purpose, in the curb line of the sidewalks of a city, without exposure of parts to catch the clothing, and without danger of sagging or loosening of the sign, said mounting means being adjustable for various sizes of poles.

My various objects are accomplished by that certain construction and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view illustrating the mode of arrangement of the signs.

Figure 2 is a perspective of the directory board of preferred form.

Figure 3 is a detail of inserts to be usedin the directory board.

Figure 4 is a perspective of the lockslide forthe board clamping device.

Figure 5 is a perspective of the board mounted on a pole.

Figure 6 is a perspective ofthe mounting strap.

As a diagram, I have illustrated a street marked A Street between two other streets marked D and G Streets. Thecurb line at one side of A Street-is indicated atl, and the sidewalk at 2. The building line on D Street is indicated at 2*, and the building line on A Street at 3, while the building line of G' Street is noted at 4.

There are poles located inthe curb line for each street near the corners at the end of the block or square, as indicated at 5, and 6 for A Street, and 7 and 8 for D and C Streets. It will be notedthat the poles for A Street are substantially in the building line, extend; ed, of the two adjoining streets, this being a necessity because any nearer'approach to the corner would interfere with traiiic on the sidewalks when crossing the streets. Such poles are usually to be found in cities, bearing; lights or traflic signs, but if'no poles are present, my invention requiresthe erection ofa pole or some suitable standard for the purpose. However, boxes or other standards found in the correct location will serve my purpose. Also in districts-where trafiic is not heavy,the standards may be consolidated to a single one located in the apex of the corner.

Directory signs for A Street are indicated at 9 and 10, at the ends of the square, the arrows indicatingthe line of buildings to which the directory refers. The directory signs for the other lines of buildings in the diagram are similarly located with reference to the several streets. The object of the arrangement is so that a person coming onto the corner of the sidewalk, say at the corner of D and A Streets, will pass by the pole 5, step to the curb line of the sidewalk out ofthetraf fie along the walk, and consult the directory.

A typical directory board is indicated'in (iii Figure 2, in which the board has a body 11 formed with grooves 12, into which directory plates 13 are lodged, in any usual way of slipping sign strips into a board having grooves for that purpose. Any suitable way of holding the strips :1 ainst removal may be rovided. In my pre erred form, the ribs de ning the grooves in the board are of metal, and the names on the insert strips are in metal, so as not to be perishable under the effects of the weather.

Each board will have the strip signs arranged in numerical order as the buildings will come as the pedestrian passes from the board toward his destination along the street. This will not only tell whether the place he is seeking is along the street, but approximately where in the street the building he wishes to reach, is to be found. Also the placing of the business carried on at an address will be a valuable advertisement for the shopkeeper, since the reader of the board may not be looking for any particular firm or individual, but may merely want a shoe store, drug store, or what not, and can find the location of that which he desires upon consulting the directory.

It is my preference to make the boards about as wide as the poles are in diameter or slightly wider depending upon the diameter of the pole, so that they will be evident to the passerby, but can be mounted on the poles so that none of the mounting devices are exposed to tear garments, or injure the users of the street, and so that the boards do not project.

Thus, a preferred mounting is formed of a piece of strap iron bent into a loop as at 14. The iron may have a series of holes 15 therein, and will be cut and bent to fit the pole so as to make it adjustable to size when mounting. The one end of the strip will have several keyhole slots 16 therein, and located at the back of the board will be button studs 17, over which the keyhole slots will slip. A look strip is provided as indicated at 18, having keyhole slots facing the opposite direction from those on the strip.

The operator sets the strip over the studs and pulls it tight, and then bends the strip to fit the pole, previously placing the washer over the button studs, and pulling it in the opposite direction, thus preventing the strip from being dislodged while being bent around the pole.

A triangular metal bracket formed of strip iron, as at 18, is attached to the opposite side of the board, and the strip, when bent around the pole, is crimped so as to engage flush against the exposed face of the bracket, as at 19. A hole in the bracket will preferably be formed with a screw thread to receive a bolt or screw thrust through the strip iron hole that comes into position, and a nut may be housed inside of the triangular portion to lock the bolt when turned down fast to grip the pole and hold the directory board in place.

The end of the strip iron that protrudes is clipped off, making a neat, firm and adjustable mounting for the board.

The directory board may be made of metal, or it may be of wood, with the button studs and bracket screwed into place. In the form shown, the board is formed of a metal plate.

There may be one or more of the mounting devices for each directory board.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In combination with a pole, a directory board, and means for mounting it on the pole, comprising a strap to surround the pole, means for securing one end of the strap to the board, and means for securing the other end of the strap to the board. comprising button studs on the board, and keyhole slots in the strap, and a locking strip for the button and slot connection, having keyhole slots facing in the opposite direction from those of the strap.

2. In combination with a pole, a directory board, and means for mounting it on the pole, comprising a strap to surround the pole, means for securing one end of the strap to the pole, and means for securing the other end of the strap to the pole, comprising a bracket secured to the board, and presenting an angled face at the back of the board close to the pole, said strap having its end turned to abut the angled face, and threaded means for securing the strap to the bracket.

THOMAS H. HARRIS. 

